A Clockwerk Cooper
by The Qing
Summary: The amazing prequel of Sly 2! Find out the origins of "The Murray" and how Bentley's heroic persona came to be. Discover the most sinister prison ever constructed. And gasp at the trials of Sly Cooper.
1. Leaving Mr Cooper

Sly Cooper in: A Clockwerk Cooper

Author Note: To those confused. The title is based off the movie title: "A Clockwork Orange".

Author Note 2: This occurs before Sly 2: Band of Thieves.

Ch.1 Leaving Mr. Cooper

Location: Paris

Time: 11:50 am

Paris is known worldwide as the city of lights. Full of life, intrigue and beauty, it's hard to find individuals with so much depression that could not find solace in this wonderful city. But tonight you'd only have to look on the street to find such a group.

Sly Cooper had this spark that allowed him to find the 'silver lining' in every cloud. An uncanny ability, to make the best, out of the worst situations. Too bad he wasn't with his gang at the moment.

The remaining members of the Cooper gang; Bentley and Murray, drove back to the hideout in silence. Both were wrought with guilt. "Um..." Murray sighed. Silence again. This time Bentley spoke.

"Come on Murray! You know there wasn't any other way!"

"I know Bentley. It's just that we could have...have done something." Murray stuttered.

"I know Murray, but we'll get him out, just you wait! We'll get him out!"

(30 minutes ago)

Sly readied his gear and was about to exit the van.

"Sly are you sure you want to do this?" Bentley asked nervously.

"Stop worrying Bentley. Besides, you said it yourself; 'This plan is completely airtight. It's foolproof', with me being the 'fool'." Sly joked.

"You never know Sly, my information might be flawed. For all we know, this could be a trap." Bentley protested.

"It's never flawed Bentley." said Sly as he picked up his cane. "Besides I trust you." Bentley knew that Sly was right. The chances of this heist going wrong were 1 in a 1000. Or so he thought.

(20 minutes ago)

Everything was going according to plan. Sly had been able to disable all the alarms, dodge the laser security system, and stay out of the surveillance cameras' view. Now the only thing left to do was to get the prize. He quickly ran up to the pedestal in the room. He was about to open the case and retrieve the diamond... "Freeze Cooper!" yelled someone from the shadows. Sly recognized the voice as Inspector Fox's. But realized there were a lot more 'voices' in the room. Or should I say 'guards'.

(15 minutes ago)

"Sly! Sly! Do you read me! Sly!" Bentley shouted into the radio. Bentley had been trying to reestablish radio contact with Sly from the van ever since the master thief was ambushed. After a few more seconds Sly replied on his binocucum.

"I read you loud and clear Bentley," Sly coughed.

"What's wrong? You sound hurt."

"Yeah...One of them shot me in the shoulder. Don't worry, they're using shock pistols. Gotta love those thin..." A jolt of pain interrupted his conversation. Then Murray was talking on the radio.

"Sly, don't worry. I'll park the van outside the hotel. Then you can..."

"Sorry Murray, it looks like I'm not escaping this time." Sly interrupted.

"Wha...what do you mean." Murray swallowed.

Bentley pushed him aside. "Sly! Now's not the time for heroics! You've gotta get out of there. I'm sorry my information wasn't right! But that's no reason for you to just give up!" Bentley shouted.

"Bentley, don't worry about me. You can't rescue me from jail if you're my cellmates. Besides, this will give me a chance to have some quality time with Inspector Fox. See you later guys..." Sly could still here Bentley's pleas and Murray's whimpering as he turned off his binocucum.

(13 minutes ago)

Bentley cringed as he turned off the radio. "Drive Murray..." he whispered.

"But Sly..."Murray tried to say.

"YOU HEARD HIM! WE HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE! DO AS I SAY AND DRIVE!" Bentley retorted fiercely, holding back tears. "Just drive." He begged. Murray had no choice but to follow his friend's orders. He put the car in first gear and drove off.

To be continued...


	2. Sly's Trial

Ch.2 Sly's Trial

2 days after Sly's capture, Bentley and Murray worked tirelessly to plan Sly's escape. They would plot different schemes before dismissing them immediately. They were either too complex, too hard to do, or just plain ridiculous. Meaningless to say, they almost forgot about their friend's trial that afternoon. Despite Murray's suggestion at sneaking in the courtroom via disguises, Bentley thought it would be safer to just watch it on TV. (That and the fact that they're only disguises were dresses.)

(Meanwhile...)

Now, I suppose you think that the courtroom of Sly's trial would be full of people; Reporters, enemies, maybe a few friends. But in reality it was barren. The judge, a jury, a prosecutor, some cameras, and Sly Cooper,being the only exceptions. Due to the wonders of technology, anyone in the world could see the trial on TV. Making the act of actually going to the trial; obsolete.

(The Police Station)

"I can't believe this!" Much to her angst, Carmelita wasn't allowed to enter the courtroom. It turns out some foreign officers (who were unable to apprehend Cooper) were going to testify against Sly. Some "classified stuff" as the chief put it, prevented her from actually joining in the trial. Well either way, she'd see Sly Cooper go to jail. "By hook or by…cop." She said to herself.

(The Courtroom)

The judge was an experienced old badger. He had thought that after 24 years, he'd seen it all. But after spending the last 24 hours examining Sly's illustrious case file he discovered he was sorely mistaken. The judge was able to narrow down the list of felonies to a few broad categories after a few minutes. "Sly Cooper, you have been accused of breaking and entering, stealing in numerous countries, fleeing the crime scene, intrusion on private property, pick pocketing, and disrupting the peace, how do you plead?" the badger questioned.

"Depends." Sly Cooper coolly stated.

(The Hideout)

"This is not good." Bentley thought to himself. 5 minutes into the trial and the judge had just about proved Sly guilty. But that wasn't going to be a problem. As the trial progressed he and Murray were able to piece together an excellent plan. The details were sketchy, but the best part of the plan happened to be beauty in it's own simplicity. All Sly had to do, was to deny the prosecutor's accusations and he was practically home free.

(The Trial)

"Sly Cooper, may I remind you that based on your record you shouldn't be getting a trial. You'd be on your way to a high security prison by now, serving 40-50 years!" The scalyprosecutor shouted.

"So why aren't I on my way to a high security prison serving 40-50 years?" Sly questioned. The prosecutor looked quite peeved at this remark.

"Due to your heavy involvement in the apprehension of the infamous Fiendish Five; Sir Raleigh, Muggshot, Mz. Ruby and the Panda King. We are willing to grant you leniency by decreasing your sentence to a mere decade." the persecutor hissed.

"What about my gang?" Sly asked.

"Ah, yes. Well let's see. Assisting of theft, hacking, hotwiring, petty robbery, I'd say about 5 years each."the viperreplied. "Now that's out of the way perhaps we can dissc..."

"Wait!" Sly interrupted. He then turned to the judge. "Your honor, is there any way to add my 'accomplices' punishment to my own sentence in exchange for their own amnesty?"

The judge stroked his chin. "I suppose, with the proper paper work that could be possible."

"Oh, Alright then I plead guilty." Sly stated.

Everyone watching the trial had different reactions to Sly's statement. Those who were drinking beverages sprayed their drinks out in surprise. Those who were eating nearly choked. Those who paid the ridiculously high paper-view price cussed. Those with an illegal cable hook-up sighed in relief. Inspector Fox just sat there, stunned. Murray had an expression on his face that looked like a mix of a heart attack and a cardiac arrest. Bentley was adjusting his glasses and increasing the volume on the TV, hoping he had heard Sly wrong. The prosecutor and judge were simply shocked. "What did you say?" the judge ventured.

"I'm guilty." Sly said again. A few minutes later, Bentley tore up the plans for Sly's escape.

To be continued...

Author Note: To those confused. This happens 'before Sly 2: Band of Thieves'.


	3. The Preposition

Ch.3 The Preposition

Two figures scurried through the darkened streets of Paris. Remaining unseen as they sneaked past the bright neon signs and street lights. The larger of the two carried a sack full of supplies. They kept their course until stopping nine blocks from the police station to take a rest. They could've just avoided all the trouble of sneaking through the back alleys, but the sight of a hippo, and a turtle running towards a police station would raise some suspicion.

In the station itself Carmelita was chugging down her 9th cup of coffee that night. Almost everyone else had left except for those who were working the late shift. But ever since Sly had returned to the station after his trial she had watched him with frightening zeal. She refused to even blink, for fear of giving the master thief even the slightest chance to escape from his cell. Sly decided to break the unstable silence. "So Carmelita...why so uptight?" he asked.

"Uptight? UPTIGHT! After years of work to catch you, do you honestly believe I'd even let you out of my sights just to let you escape!" she demanded.

"Sheesh... you don't have to shout. I was just wondering why you seem to be a bit angrier than last time I saw you. You should be happy, you've finally caught me." Sly replied.

"You know that's just the thing. I've been wondering that myself. But after the 6th cup of coffee it hit me. I wanted to see you squirm in that courtroom Cooper! To watch as the concept of being sent to jail finally sank in as you pathetically tried to prove your innocence! For years I've constantly chased you with that image in mind. But here you are now, in a jail cell acting as if you haven't even been captured at all!" She shouted. "I'll personally see to it that they lock you in an extra small cell for 20 years!"

"As if you can find a prison that can hold me for more than 20 minutes." Sly smirked. Carmelita wanted to protest, but she knew Sly was right. There wasn't a prison secure enough to hold Cooper for a prolonged period of time. She silently wished there was such a place.

"Oh, I think that's a possibility." said a voice from the doorway.

Carmelita turned around to look at the source of the voice. It came from a formally dressed wombat in his late 40s. "Sorry if I was interrupting anything. I just came by to visit an old friend of mine. I believe he is the chief of this police station, last I heard." He said.

"Sorry, he went home early. Maybe you should come back later." Carmelita replied.

"Hmmm... That's okay. But perhaps I could give you a message to pass onto him. However I'd like to speak in private." Seeing the look of suspicion on her face, he spoke again. "It concerns Sly Cooper."

(Meanwhile...)

Bentley and Murray had managed to get two blocks from the police station without being seen. "Luckily for Sly I always have a plan B." Bentley huffed. Both were exhausted.

"Why did it have to involve so much running?" Murray gasped. "I told you Murray. We had to remain inconspicuous." He said. "What does that mean?"

"Everything our van's not." Bentley replied. "Don't worry Murray. We're just a few blocks from the police station." The hippo groaned at the remark as he followed his fellow thief to the station.

(in Inspector Fox's office...)

After making sure Sly was securely locked in his cell, Carmelita brought the strange wombat into her office. He then proceeded to look at the many various photos, newspaper clippings, and notes that were pinned on her bulletin board. (he was especially interested in those concerning the Cooper Gang.) "So, what's your business with Cooper?" she asked him.

The man looked up. "Oh yes, I am Sentrak Metzerstoff. I came here to talk to your chief to offer him a certain deal that involves your prisoner Sly Cooper." He stated.

"So Mr. Sentrak, what kind of deal were you going to discuss with my superior."

The old man sighed. "About transferring Cooper." Sentrak grinned.

"To a prison?" Carmelita said skeptically.

"Not just any prison." He stood up and proceeded to smile. "Owlcatraz."

To be continued...


	4. Boom, Boom, You're Blown Up

Ch.4 Boom, Boom, You're Blown Up

Carmelita paled when she heard that name. "Impossible." She thought.

As if he could read her mind, Sentrak spoke. "Oh come now Inspector, you don't really believe those stories do you? It's all a bunch of nonsense!" he assured her.

Despite being told this Carmelita was still in shock. Back when she was younger, her parents told her of a terrible prison located on an unknown island, protected by intimidating mountains, chock full of scorching deserts and surrounded by a rough (merciless) sea. But worst of all, was the first (and the last) warden of that dreary place. Though her parents assured her thatthe warden (and Owlcatraz itself) wasn't real, she still wasn't able to sleep for days after being told of it.

"What I'm proposing Inspector Fox, is a simple transfer." He removed a few papers from his coat. "Just sign here and Sly will be out of your hair and into a jailcell in Owlcatraz."

"No, Sentrak." She interrupted.

"Wh...Why?" Metzerstoff stuttered.

"Number one; I don't really trust you and number two; Owlcatraz doesn't exist!" she exclaimed.

"Oh, I beg to differ." Sentrak pointed at Carmelita's computer. "Please look me up in your online police directory." Carmelita did just that. To her amazement, not only was this shady figure in law enforcement, but he was also a high ranking prison warden in Interpol. "Is that enough proof for you Inspector?" he reached into another coat pocket. "And as for Owlcatraz..." he threw something to her. Carmelita caught it and examined it. She grimaced. It was a postcard...of Owlcatraz.

Carmelita examined the postcard. It showed a large prison, nothing out of the ordinary. It was nothing like the dark, gloomy place that she imagined. "As you can see Inspector, Owlcatraz is nothing more than a solid, secure prison. I'm sure it could prove more than effective to protect Mr. Cooper until his release." He explained.

Carmelita looked confused. "Protect him? Protect him from what?"

(Back in the alley...)

Bentley and Murray had managed to position themselves west of the police station. Using his hacking skills, Bentley was able to pinpoint where Sly was being held. They went around the station until reaching Sly's coordinates. Unfortunately, it appeared thatsomebody hadbeaten them to it. A short hyena in a policeman uniform was apparently guarding the window. Bentley was the first to notice. "Murray stop!" he whispered. The hippo tripped in his attempts to slow down. This would've attracted the guard's attention if Bentley hadn't dragged Murray around the nearby corner.

"What's the deal Bentley?" Murray demanded.

"There's a guard in front of Sly's window. Unless you miraculously decide to rough him up, we'll have to wait till he leaves." Bentley and Murray then looked around the corner at the guard. He stood still for a moment. Then he threw something in the window and casually walked away. Murray gulped, Bentley winced. Then they slowly walked to...

(in the meantime...)

"Ms. Fox..." Sentrak paused for a moment. "You of all people should know. That over the years the Cooper Gang has made quite a few enemies. So it's only reasonable that they could strike at any time, whenever they please and with all due respect to your department." He paused. "This is no place to keep the likes of Mr. Cooper safe."

Carmelita was quick to protest. "Mr. Metzerstoff, thank you for your concern. But this is one of the most secure locations in Paris. You shouldn't worry so much. It's not like someone with a grudge against Cooper will come in here and try to shoot him or hit him with a..."

"BOMB!" yelled an officer downstairs. A rather sizeable explosion accompanied the warning.

(Outside...)

Fortunately, Bentley and Murray managed to stay 2 steps away from the explosion. Afterwards, Murray ran towards the window of the now destroyed prison cell. "Sly! Sly are you there! Are you okay!" He shook the bars of the window (which hadamazingly stayed intact.) so hard, they were torn off. He then peered inside and started to cry. "Bentley!" he sobbed. "There's nothing left of Sly! He's been reduced to ashes!" Bentley thought that Murray was overreacting until he looked through the window. Indeed it looked as if there was nothing left of the master thief. Just a charred empty cell.

(Inside...)

As soon as she heard the explosion, Carmelita took her shock pistol with her as she ran downstairs, with Sentrak in tow. The damage wasn't that bad. Just a few overturned tables and a couple of dazed officers. According to one of them, the bomb was thrown from the window of holding cell 19. She was about to go there, but stopped when she saw a disturbing piece of paper on an overturned table. Sentrak looked over her shoulder and couldn't help but smirk.

(Exterior of holding cell 19)

Murray and Bentley were still outside contemplating the fate of Sly. Well, Bentley was contemplating, Murray was just crying uncontrollably. Despite being the smarter of the two, Bentley couldn't find any other solution other than that Sly had been blown to bits. That being said he had 2 choices. Either try to convince (albeit lie) Murray that Sly had survived somehow, or admit his friend was dead and cry his glasses off. He stuck with the latter. "You're right Murray! Sly's gone! Waahhhh!" Bentley sobbed. The 2 friends cried for a minute until...

"Uh, guys..." said a familiar voice. Murray and Bentley turned their heads to the cell only to stare at the face of Sly Cooper peaking out of a barred window...2 cells down.

(At the same time...)

Carmelita trembled with anger as she picked up the note. Though Sentrak seemed quite happy as he looked at it's contents. "Why isn't that lovely Inspector Fox?" he snickered. On the piece of (slightly singed) paper was a crude drawing of a raccoon with 'x' marks for eyes, and a skull and crossbones with the message; 'Death to Cooper!' in big bold letters. Sentrak headed towards the door. "My offer still stands. The papers are still in your office Ms. Fox. If you sign them, send them to the Le Stinky Tourist Hotel room 544. If you chose not to well...you know as they say." He looked at her before leaving. "History repeats itself." And with that he was gone.

(Oh you know where it is...)

Sly had survived the explosion without so much a scratch because he was in holding cell 21 at the time. "Sly you're not dead!" Murray shouted in joy.

"Yeah, Thanks for noticing." Sly coolly stated.

Bentley quickly wiped the tears from his eyes before speaking. "Sly, we're here to get you out. So step back and..."

"Sorry Bentley but I can't leave." Sly interrupted.

"WHAT! WHY NOT!" Bentley and Murray both demanded in shaky voices.

"Guys in case you haven't noticed, that explosion just put this police station on high alert. Trying to bust me out now would be like turning yourselves in. This isn't easy for me to say but, it looks like you have a better chance of getting me out of a high security prison at the moment. I'm sorry, see ya later." Murray and Bentley knew Sly was right. They knew what they had to do. With all the courage they could muster, they turned around and walked away from the master thief, hoping that the prison Sly would be sent would be easy to break into. Unfortunately...

(30 minutes later...)

Carmelita sighed as she looked at the papers Sentrak left behind. Signing them would guarantee that Sly would serve his sentence. But something just didn't feel right. What a strange coincidence that someone would try to bomb Cooper on the same night that Sentrak made his offer. "Besides, there was something strange about him." She thought. Part of her wanted to throw the papers in the trash, but the other knew Sentrak was right. If Owlcatraz really was the prison of legend, then no one could break in or out of it. With a heavy heart she signed the papers, put them in an envelope, scratched the address on, went outside and put it in the nearest mailbox.

To be continued...


	5. Hobson's Choice

Ch.5 Hobson's Choice

Author Note: Here we go…

The ride to Owlcatraz was incredibly cramped and uncomfortable. For Sly anyway… After Paris, Sentrak's men had thrown him into a prison truck. Later they took a ship bound westward. Then after passing through some rough waters the ship stopped in the docks of a vast desert coast. Sly found himself in the back of a truck again. He was getting a bit bored of the whole thing, until he finally arrived at Owlcatraz itself.

The prison walls were huge and daunting. Tall, crooked watchtowers shone their spotlights around the prison's perimeter. The entrance was a large metallic gate shaped in the form of a giant owl's beak. Like an enormous mouth waiting to consume anyone who entered. But the strangest thing about the prison was it's perpetual darkness. This wouldn't have been strange…but it was the afternoon. A really bright and sunny afternoon. Sly didn't know if it was the mountain ridges surrounding the prison that cast it in constant shadow. Or some other unnatural force. As crazy as it may sound, Owlcatraz seemed to be generating darkness.

As soon as the truck entered the prison, Sly saw a huge rectangular structure in the distance. He assumed it was the main compound where they'd keep him. But the truck turned towards a small cabin (on stilts) a few meters away. Two gazelle guards flanked Cooper out of the truck towards an elevator at the right side of the cabin. One of them pressed a button on a control panel and the elevator doors slid open. The other one threw Sly inside of it. The raccoon looked around, wondering what awaited him at the top. The lift ascended until stopping at level with the cabin. The doors slid open yet again and the raccoon stepped out only to be blinded by a bright light.

"Whoops… Sorry about that." Apologized a familiar voice. All of a sudden the light was turned off. Sly blinked, before seeing Sentrak Metzerstoff in front of him, fixing a spotlight. "I'm so glad you make it Cooper! Did you enjoy the trip?"

"I've been on more comfortable rides." Sly replied.

"Yes, most of our guests feel that way. However they tend to project their complaints with more vigor."

"Suppose they would." Sly stated matter-of-factly.

Sentrak sat still for a moment before standing up. "Oh, my apologies Mr. Cooper." He motioned to a chair. "Please, have a seat."

Never taking his eye off Sentrak, Sly sat down, still handcuffed from his encounter with the police.

"Comfy, Mr. Cooper? Yes? Good." Sentrak started to walk around the room, shooting occasional glances at Sly. "You Mr. Cooper are one amazing individual. I mean, that had the quickest trial I've ever seen. Probably the shortest one in history."

"Actually my grandfather had the quickest trial in history." Sly corrected.

"Of course, of course." Sentrak walked to a nearby file cabinet and retrieved an old manila folder. "You're family has a very interesting history." He said as he opened the file. "Stemming from Babylon to the Old West. My, my, my you're heritage is incredibly illustrious Mr. Cooper."

"Yes, yes it is."

"But you know…" Sentrak closed the folder. "It's a huge burden to carry. For you Coopers have a bad habit of making enemies. Even ones that carry long-term grudges. Am I right Mr. Cooper?"

A disturbing thought went through Sly's mind. "_Did this guy know about_ _Clockwerk?"_ a look of worry appeared on Sly's face for a split second, before calming down. _"Hmmph…what does it matter? Clockwerk's gone, nothing to hide now." _

"You're family has fascinated me. So I took the liberty of obtaining a copy of your file from The Happy Campers' Orphanage." He took another folder from the cabinet. "I hope you don't mind." He opened the folder. "Looks good. You did pretty well there, met a few friends. But there's part in this file that captured my interest. You seemed to have recurring nightmares. About the sound of flapping wings, screams in the night, and piercing yellow eyes. It took a month of counseling before you got over them."

That wasn't true. Sly still had those nightmares occasionally. He would've told his friends but that would have worried them, and interfered with the job.

Sentrak went back to his chair and sat down. "You know, I studied criminal psychology in Prague a few years back. What you had back then was what I might call; night-scares. They can disappear for brief periods of time, or even years. But they do come back. And I assume you still have them. Don't you?"

Sly remained silent. Not giving the man even the slightest glimpse of weakness.

"Another problem you face Mr. Cooper is this prison. Daunting isn't it? Huge walls, big gates, tough staff, the list goes on and on."

"Nothing like the postcard." Sly observed.

Sentrak chuckled. "Indeed. But as you know, this compound is miles away from civilization. Anything could happen. Which is why I'd like to give you a generous offer."

"Which would be?" Sly asked.

"I am quite powerful in the ranks of law enforcement. I could plead diplomatic immunity, put someone in house arrest, or even set a prisoner free."

"Okay…" Sly was clearly unimpressed.

"However, my real goal is to perfect a mental suggestion process. So as to convince criminals of their wrong doings."

"Brainwashing." The master thief concluded.

"That's such a strong word Sly. I prefer the term 'advice'."

"Isn't there another warden who's tried this?"

Sentrak's expression turned to anger. "She hasn't perfected it yet!" he shouted, but quickly regained his composure.

"Skip to the chase Sentrak." Sly ordered.

"Well like I said; I can do pretty much anything. Including getting you out of here. All you have to do is assist me in a little, harmless project. You're sentence will be shortened to 20 weeks, you will be released, and you're criminal record wiped clean." The wombat leaned towards Sly. "So, what do you say? Deal?"

Sly laughed for a few minutes before shaking his head. "Of course not!"

Sentrak shook with rage. "But I'm offering you freedom! Amnesty!"

Sly laughed again before looking at Sentrak. "Why would I want to lie? If my record was wiped clean." He laughed. "It would be like I had done nothing at all."

The warden stared at Sly. "Amusing. You would make your ancestors proud. But as for me…" he pressed a button on his desk. A moment later the two guards were coming out of the elevator. "I'm unimpressed. Guards, bring him to his cell."

To be continued…


	6. The Not So Dynamic Duo

Ch.6 The Not-So Dynamic Duo

Author Note: _Italics are thoughts._

Location: Bleu Building, Paris,

Time: 9:15 pm

As Sly was adjusting to his new surroundings, Bentley and Murray had positioned themselves in front of the Bleu Building. Finding out that Sly had been sent to the feared prison, the two had snapped into action. Researching as much as they could about Owlcatraz was just the tip of the iceberg-sized task. They discovered that the only known blueprints of Owlcatraz were in the 20th floor of the Bleu Building. They had spent an entire day plotting the heist for the blueprints. But Bentley decided to repeat the plan to Murray, for the umpteenth time.

"Okay Murray, let's review. I will sneak into the air vents of the building and reach the elevator. Once there, I'll hack into the shaft's controls to get me to the 20th floor. I'll get to the blueprint room using the vents. Then I simply use my new index device to find the Owlcatraz blueprints. Do you have any questions, Murray?"

Murray yawned at hearing Bentley review the plan…again. He silently raised his hand.

"Yes Murray?"

"Why are we wearing these ski masks again?" Murray asked.

"They're to protect our identities so that we can't be identified by any passing civilians." Bentley explained.

"But they're ugly and really itchy Bentley!" Murray started to scratch the mask on his face.

Despite feeling the very same itch, Bentley persisted. "I know Murray. But think of it this way. At least you don't have to get out of the van. Seeing as how, I'm the only one who can crawl through the vents."

Murray was impressed with his friend's bravery. "Wow Bentley, you're taking you're first time out in the field pretty well."

"Well, it's just a simple mission. I have complete confidence that everything will be alright."

(A few minutes later, in the vents.)

"_I am going to die!!!"_ Bentley thought as he crawled through the vents. "_I didn't realize these vents were so small! I think I'm getting claustrophobic! The walls are closing in! Ahhh!!!" _this went on until he saw the elevator shaft. _"Great! Almost there…" _Bentley hopped on top of the elevator and got out his laptop. _"Time to get this party starte…"_ Just then the elevator lurched upward at a breakneck speed, pinning Bentley down. Fortunately, Bentley did what you or I would have done then. "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!" he screamed.

All of a sudden the elevator stopped. After a few minutes, Bentley looked at his computer to see if it was okay. Miraculously, not only was his laptop in one piece, but the screen indicated that the elevator had reached the 20th floor. _"That's good."_ The turtle looked around to find the vent he was supposed to crawl through. He gulped. _"Almost there, don't panic." _

Things seemed to be going well. Bentley was almost to the room with the blueprints without incident. _"I'm going to make it! I'm going to make it!" _he thought, but his celebration was short-lived when a nearby duct started sucking up air. Unfortunately, Bentley was also getting sucked in. _"Shoot! I forgot about the air conditioners!!" _Bentley clawed at the floor, hoping to anchor himself to the vent. Then as quickly as it had began, the vent stopped. Bentley sighed in relief. But was once again getting sucked into another duct. _"Not again!!!" _Then it stopped. Then the duct on the other side was sucking him in. Then it stopped. Then the duct on the other side was sucking him in. And so on and so forth. It seemed never ending, but to Bentley's eternal relief the central duct was starting to suck in air. He was happy because that was the duct into the blueprint room. As he was being pulled towards the vent he wondered what he should say. Something that pronounced victory in the face of adversity. In the end, only one thing could express his joy as he crashed through the vent and into the room. "BANZAI!!!!" he shouted nervously.

Bentley landed on a table covered with blueprints. "Once again my intellect has triumphed in the face of adversity. Perhaps this is a sign. Maybe I can go out in the field without getting killed. Then again…" as Bentley pondered he did not notice the huge menacing figure behind him.

Then the large, shadowy being went up to the unwitting Bentley…and lightly tapped him on the shoulder. "Ehhh…heh…heh." Bentley sobbed as he looked behind him to see…Murray?

"Hey Bentley." Murray waved.

"Murray! I'm so glad you're not a guard! Wait what are you doing here?"

"Well you left your index thing in the van, so I went in the elevator to give it back to you." Murray explained.

"Wait, did you press the button to get you to the 20th floor?"

"Yeah, Bentley. I even used the extra speed feature on the elevator to go really fast!"

Bentley wondered if that had anything to do with his little 'elevator' adventure. "Go on,"

"Okay, then I found the blueprint room. It was kind of hot so I turned on the air conditioning."

"You…turned on the air conditioner?" Bentley shuddered.

"Right, but I had to constantly turn two air conditioners on and off to keep the room cool, you won't believe the regulation procedures here!"

"On and off huh?" Bentley started to put the pieces together. (Can you?) But there was still one missing piece to the puzzle. "How did you get up here without being caught by security?"

"I didn't." Murray stated happily.

"That doesn't make any sense."

"Well, do you remember Larry?" Murray asked.

"Larry?! From Vegas?!"

"That's him. Well he's now a security guard here. He recognized me, and to repay me for beating that burly guy in Vegas at arm wrestling, while simultaneously winning back all his money. He decided to help me get the blueprints as thanks. He even gave me the keys to the elevator's extra speed feature so I could catch up with you." Murray finished.

Bentley resisted every primal urge in his being to strangle his hippo friend. For not only making his perfect plan a failing rollercoaster of pain, but for also finding a simpler, easier way to get the blueprints. Bentley calmed down a bit and turned to Murray. "Did you get the blueprints with my index device?"

"No."

"What?" Bentley inquired tensely.

"No, it was too complicated. But luckily the blueprints are stored in alphabetical order."

Bentley slapped himself in the face. "Hand me the blueprints please." He silently commanded.

"Okie Dokie!" Murray removed the blueprints from his backpack and gave them to Bentley.

The feelings of anger and embarrassment disappeared as he looked at the blueprints. (Yep, that's how intimidating they were.) Murray couldn't help but look over Bentley's shoulder and laugh.

"Man! I wonder what kind of morons would try to break into that!" he laughed.

Bentley looked at Murray with a shocked expression on his face. "Murray, we're those morons."

"Oh," the truth had suddenly hit Murray with the speed of an out of control locomotive. "Crud."

To be continued…


	7. The Belly of the Beast

Ch.7 The Belly of The Beast

Location: Owlcatraz

Time: 11:30 pm.

It had been a week since the meeting between Sly and Sentrak. And Sly was disliking Owlcatraz by the second.

"Not very nice is it?" questioned a voice from the cell next to his.

"No Tom, it's not." Sly answered. Tom was a paranoid mere cat and Sly's new "neighbor".

"No, I mean don't you get that feeling Sly?"

"What feeling?"

"That you're being watched, man." Tom said with a drowsy tone.

"Maybe."

"Don't deny it pal! Everyone in this cellblock can feel it. You know?"

"You mean cameras? Because they have a lot of tho…"

"You know I don't mean cameras bro! I mean like a chilling feelin' going down your spine. Like when you wake up in the middle of the night in fear." Tom interrupted. "That 'he' might be on the grounds."

"Who's 'he'?" Sly asked.

"The warden, man. The warden."

"You mean Sentrak?"

"Oh sure, Mr. Three-piece suit is the scariest thing here. Of course not Sentrak! I'm talking about 'The Warden'." explained Tom. "The wacko who used to run this place in the 19th century!"

"Tom, I think you need to rest."

"I ain't crazy dude! This guy was bad! He used to run all these experiments with the prisoners behind the government's back. Until he was found out! Then they shut this place down!"

"Look, Tom. I don't think you're crazy. But that warden has to be over a 100 years old to still be alive."

"Not if he ain't living anymore."

"You mean like a ghost?" Sly scoffed.

"You read my mind neighbor! They say he haunts this place 24/7. Stalking everyone in this place. Casting a shadow over this very compound as he soars into the sky!"

"Okay, now I think you're crazy."

"Listen Sly, if you don't believe me believe this." Tom begged. "Before he was kicked out; the warden left a tiny bit of himself here. Something to haunt this prison till the end of time. Sentrak must have been on something when he bought this place at an auction. But if you ask me Sentrak and 'The Warden' aren't so different."

"How so?"

"Alright 'The Warden' thing, I can understand why you've never heard of it. But come on! Don't you notice the prisoners in the other cellblock? Are you really that dense?"

Sly wasn't of course. Because a master thief needs to be observant of everything. And the prisoners stuck up like sore thumbs. As far as Sly could tell from some informants; all the other prisoners in the other cellblocks all accepted Sentrak's little experiment offer. And by the looks of them, Sly was glad he hadn't volunteered. It was like they were zombies. They would just wander around the prison, brain-dead. But a few days ago at lunch all the brain-dead prisoners attacked both Tom and Sly with furious rage. Luckily Tom and Sly were able to hold them off. A few minutes later they were back to "normal". Or as normal as they could get.

"Sly, before we turn in. I gotta ask you. Do you believe in ghosts?" Tom yawned.

Sly thought about Clockwerk. That confrontation at Russia seemed more like a baddream. Nothing like Clockwerk could exist, and yet…"No." Sly answered.

(Later…)

The jangling of keys could be heard as two gazelle guards walked towards Sly's cell. One of them opened the cell while another walked to the bed.

"You're coming with us." He said as he removed the blanket from the heap. Only to see a bunch of pillows where the raccoon should have been. The clanking of the cell door could be heard, the door had been closed. He looked at his partner with fear. They had been locked in, and Sly Cooper had escaped!

Sly ran down the gritty corridor past the cells of his fellow inmates. Silently darted past the patrolling guards and reached the door. After using his speed up time move he finally found the right key and opened the door…

There are many unpleasant things in the world, and getting blasted by a shock pistol point blank is one of them. Sly was knocked back by the impact, and lay in an unconscious heap. Sentrak opened the door, shock pistol still smoking in his hand. "I'm unimpressed Mr. Cooper" he shook his head "Unimpressed."

(Later…)

Sly opened his eyes, vision blurry from the shot. He had a splitting headache and tried to stroke his head…but failed. Sly looked down to see that his arms and legs had been bound to a strange, grey chair.

"Ahhh…I see that you're awake Sly. I hope I didn't stun you too hard." A familiar voice laughed.

Sly turned to see Sentrak at a computer terminal. "Sentrak…What is this thing I'm stuck in?"

"Why, that's your new friend, Sly. It's going to teach you to behave."

"I said I wasn't interested in your experiments!" Sly reminded.

"Yes well like I said; anything can happen here." Sentrak noticed the cold stare Sly was hitting him with. "Don't look at me like that. You should be thankful. Soon you'll be a better person."

"Oh yeah, like those brain-dead vegetables in the prison?"

"Please, they were a few early test subjects."

"They were people! Criminals, but they were still people!"

Sentrak turned his back on Sly. "Sacrifices must be made Cooper. Don't worry, sit back, relax and enjoy you're last few minutes of being a master thief." Sentrak pressed something on his computer and walked out the door. "Adieu Sly."

A split second later a dozen TV screens popped out of the sides of the chair, soft classical music could be heard as the screens flickered to life. Each TV revealed pure static, until they turned black. Sly sighed in relief. But then they turned back on, each screen showing a pair of yellow, hate-filled eyes. Sly gasped, the eyes that haunted his dreams were peering at him through the glass as if trying to kill him with a glance. He tried to close his eyes but two mechanical hands lifted his eyelids so he had no choice but to watch. And that's where things got worse…

To be continued…


	8. Immortal Darkness in the Stainless Mind

Ch.8 Immortal Darkness in the Stainless Mind

As Sly stared into those screens, he began to notice something. The screens were acting like a weird 3-D pattern. The kind that if you look at it long enough you see a picture. The picture seemed to be a room, a strangely familiar room. One that Sly hadn't seen for 10 years. "No, can it be?" Then there was a change of scenery.

(In Sly's mind…)

Sly was now sitting on a large red chair in the room the screens had showed him. It was the old reading room of the Cooper mansion. Sly hadn't been in it since he was 8 years old, back when his father was still alive. Everything looked like it used to be when he was a kid. Sly looked up to see that all was in order. He didn't know whether this was a dream or a hallucination caused by Sentrak's machine. But he didn't care. For years he had missed this room, this house…his father. If this little side affect gave him one minute to speak with his dad, even if it wasn't real he'd take it. Now all that was missing from the room was his dad. He looked around. He looked to the right, he looked to the left, but he couldn't find him. "Is he even here?" he thought. He was about to get up, but stopped when he felt a heaviness on his lap. He originally thought it was Sentrak's restraints that were holding him down. But as he looked down, he saw not a rope tying him to the chair, but a small raccoon child.

The boy on Sly's lap was about 8 years old. He wore a blue t-shirt and had a curios look on his face.

"Who're you?" Sly asked.

The boy giggled before answering. "I'm you're son dad!"

Sly blinked in shock. "My…son?"

"Yup!" the child smiled. "Sid Cooper is my name! Thieving's my game."

"Right… Um, Sid?"

"Yeah dad?"

"Could you do me a favor? It's a strange favor. Could you tell me about yourself? Just a bit?" Sly asked.

Sid looked at Sly quizzically, and then asked. "Is this a game?"

"A game?" Sly thought for a moment. "Sure it is."

As Sid chatted on, Sly couldn't help but smirk. This dream state was incredible! The Cooper Mansion was in perfect detail and Sid was…charmingly realistic. The raccoon was almost sad that this wasn't real. Oh well…might as well enjoy himself. But still the question remained…How did Sentrak expect him to be brainwashed this way?

Sly's thoughts were interrupted when Sid fiercely tugged at his arm. "Dad! You didn't answer my question!

Sly looked at Sid. "What question?"

"What the surprise is!" Sid reminded.

"Surprise?"

"Yeah! You said that after dinner you'd give me something real important!" Sid explained.

"Ummm…" Sly was unsure of how to answer.

"Wait, don't tell me. It's that big book, right?"

"Big Book?"

"Right, the one with all of those pictures of our ancestors. I think it's called the Thievius…something. I can't remember the last part of the title."

"The Thievius Raccoonus?" Sly thought out loud.

"Oh, yeah that's it! So is it the Thievius Raccoonus, dad?

"Sid, how old are you?"

"8 years old."

"Eight years old? Sly thought. "That's how old I was when I was supposed to inherit the book! Is it possible? Is this a simulation of that night? From my father's perspective? And if that's so…then that means that…"

As Sly was thinking, Sid had gone off his lap and looked through the window. "Dad…"

"Yes, Sid?"

"Who's that strange man in the garden?"

At hearing this, Sly sprang out of the chair and went towards the window.

A lone figure stood amidst the green. A dark silhouette of a strange creature. At first Sly couldn't tell what it was, but one look at the shadow's yellow eyes and Sly knew immediately who it was.

"Clockwerk…" he said silently.

"What dad?"

Sly turned to face his son. He put both his hands on the youth's shoulders. "Sid, Hide in the closet."

"What?"

"Hide in the closet!" Sly ordered. "And hurry!"

"Dad, what's going on?"

"Just hide Sid, hide!"

**(Sly's Pov)**

I felt terrible for shouting at Sid. And seeing him cry as he went into the closet, only increased my guilt. Even if Sid wasn't real, he was real enough…That I wanted to protect him.

I picked up my cane from the floor, then walked towards the door. For years I had replayed the scene of my father's battle with Clockwerk over and over. And each time I thought of it, the same question came to my mind. "Would I had done any better?" This question burned in my mind for nearly a decade. I knew fully well that I would never know. Well, now was my chance. To see if I would fare any better against the mechanical owl.

I waited a few minutes before I heard the feint creek of the door opening. And there he was. My family's ancient enemy just stood there staring at me. He looked exactly the same on that dreadful night, all those years ago: tall, menacing, wicked. Somehow, despite his size he managed to get through the door. I tried to look around him to get a glimpse of the Fiendish Five. But they weren't there. It was just me, Clockwerk…and Sid.

Minutes seemed like hours as me and Clockwerk exchanged bitter glances. I was never much of a religious thief. Ever since my father died. Still, I tried my best to say a silent prayer, but was distracted by imagining Sid, and how much I wanted to spare him from the terrible things Clockwerk may inflict upon him. And as Clockwerk shrieked and charged at me I thought. _"Perhaps that in itself was a kind of prayer."_

To be continued…


	9. Immortal Darkness in the Stainless Mind ...

Ch. 9 Immortal Darkness in the Stainless Mind Part 2

Author Note: Sorry I forgot about the_ italics_ the last chapter.

To all those who complimented my story: Thank you! If youhave any suggestions. Please tell me via review.

P.S. The Spin Whack is an earlier version of the Power-Up Whack. It's similar, but it doesn't have an orange glow. And Clockwerk's energy blaster is that cannon on his back, he used against you in the final battle of the first game.

Sidenote: ¾ of this chapter occurs in Sly's mind.

**(Sly's POV)**

As I dodged Clockwerk's mad charge, I begin to wonder two things: 1) Why does he hate my family so much? And 2) How does he keep coming back? It's a mystery that I may never solve. But if I'm not careful, Clockwerk will make sure I never find out.

Clockwerk may be huge, menacing, and strong. But thanks to the enclosed space of the house, and that hunk of metal he calls a body, he's pretty slow when he's not flying. I went forward to hit his head with my cane. Remembering how it worked wonders back in Russia. A sickening thud could be heard as my hook connected with his mechanical head. I expected him to say something that bad guy's usually say when they get hit. Like "Curse you Cooper!" or something to that extent. But instead he laughed. The owl was laughing.

"You fool!" he shouted as he used his enormous wings to knock me down. "Did you really believe that would work a second time?" then he brought his claw down on my face… Luckily I rolled away to avoid being crushed.

"Believe it or not, yes." Then I charged at him.

I tried to dive at my foe. But in one fluid motion, he dodged it with ease. Then Clockwerk, using his talons, tried to slice me into tiny raccoon cubes. They grazed me on the shoulder. I yelped in pain before retaliating with a few quick whacks from my cane, which did nothing more than scratch his armor.

Seeing as how my normal blows caused him no grief, I decided to resort to one of my ancestor's favorite moves; the Spin Whack. Inspired by a tornado, the Spin Whack was a formidable Cooper clan attack. Anyone who used it spun like a top and could hit many foes at once. Perfect against a large group of enemies, even better against a mechanical owl.

I nimbly jumped away from my enemy and quickly got into battle stance. Almost immediately, he ran forward in hopes of ending me once and for all. I had to time this move just right…otherwise I may end up hitting nothing at all.

Here he comes, angry as ever. Eyes ablaze with hatred, talons gleaming, mouth twisted in a furious snarl. Relentless, tireless, evil…You get the idea. What I wouldn't give to simply hit him now. But unfortunately the Spin Whack is strictly a close range move. A slight setback when your opponent is thrice your size. So I waited, I waited until his wings cast their shadows over me, I waited until I could practically smell his rancid mechanical breath, and I waited until we were nearly face-to-face. Then I struck.

I spun around at dizzying speeds, making sure to hit him as much as possible. The satisfying clank of my enhanced hits could be heard as Clockwerk took the full brunt of the attack. After a few more revolutions the attack ended. And then I looked back to see the damage I had dealt. But I was greeted with a wing attack to the face.

It couldn't be! Even my Spin Whack was powerless against Clockwerk!

"Idiotic raccoon!" Clockwerk shouted as he threw me to the other side of the room. "That technique hasn't hurt me since 1883!" I quickly jumped back on my feet, ready to continue the fight. Clockwerk just looked at me and laughed. "Hahaha!!! Don't flatter yourself Sly! I'm not here for you! I'm here for the Thievius Raccoonus! Now tell me where it is and I might spare your life!" he offered. I scoffed at the remark. Like that would ever happen.

"Not talking I see." Clockwerk observed. "Fine, then I'll just have to look for it myself." Then he used his glowing eyes to scan the room. His gaze stopped at the closet where Sid was hiding. "That closet looks like a decent hiding place for a family heirloom." I paled as he took aim with the energy blaster on his back. "Let's see if I'm right. Shall we?" Then he fired.

A few seconds later I found myself on the ground. I don't remember all the details, but I recalled jumping in the way of the shot to protect Sid's hiding place. Now I'm in pain…a lot of pain.

Clockwerk looked down on me. "Hmm…I knew the Thievius Raccoonus wasn't in that closet you amateur." He taunted. Then he turned his head to a portrait on the wall and sighed. "It's always the safe behind the painting." He then proceeded to rip the portrait off the wall to reveal the safe. To my amazement, instead of ripping the safe apart, he started to figure out the safe's combination. "Oh, my. It's your anniversary date isn't it?" he asked as the safe opened. "How trivial." he snickered. After unlocking the vault he stared at the Thievius Raccoonus and sneered before throwing it in the fireplace, which wouldn't be so bad if there wasn't a fire there.

I stared in horror as I saw my family heirloom burn amongst the flames. All my ancestors' secrets reduced to ashes. The contents, lost forever. I was on the verge of tears as I stared angrily at the robotic bird. He stared back with a look of contempt on his face. "Time to steal one more thing." He said. Then he hummed and walked towards the closet. I tried to stop him but the wounds from the energy blast stopped me from getting up. All of a sudden he tore the closet door of it's hinges. I couldn't see much from my position, but I was pretty sure that Sid was quivering with fear. "Ah, Sid…" Clockwerk stated. "You know…even though I've been watching you incredibly closely since the day you were born, but now I'm confronting you like this and I realize I don't know much about you. Which is a shame because…" he raised his claw. "You would have made an interesting addition to my Cooper clan database. Goodbye Sid…" I didn't see what happened next. Though I'm glad I didn't.

**(End POV)**

(Back in the real world.)

Sentrak smiled as he saw Slystruggle in the Mental Suggestion Chair. _"Quite the rebel aren't you Sly?" _Sentrak thought._ "You seem to be resisting. You even broke my last patient's record. But alas you're resistance is nearing it's end and you will soon submit. I might as well turn on one of my old records for easier listening." _Sentrak went to a nearby stereo system and put in a mozart cd. Then an idea popped into his head. He turned on the prison's intercom and made an announcement. "Attention, all occupants of cellblocks A through C! I've decided to give you a little treat. For the rest of the night we will be listening to some classical music. Enjoy!" All through the night, the echoes of instruments playing drowned out the Sly's screams of horror from the Mental Suggestion Chamber.

To be continued…

Author Note: I know the past few chapters have been a bit depressing and serious, but the content will get progressively lighter as the story goes on. Once again, thank you for your wonderful comments, and Merry Christmas! And a Happy New Year!

Best wishes,

The Qing (Pronounced The King.)


	10. Reformus Raccoonus

Ch. 10 Reformus Raccoonus

Author Note: Happy New Year!

To say that getting to Owlcatraz to visit a prisoner is nearly impossible, is no exaggeration. After a friend of yours enters Owlcatraz, you never see them again until they've served they're sentence. Though there's a way to get around this. It involves coins, favors, auctions and the proper paperwork. But I'll spare you the details. The point is that Murray and Bentley did it, and are currently in a truck heading to the prison.

After the rather uncomfortable journey to their destination, the two thieves came out of the truck. One was eager to see his friend, the other was hungry. After giving his hippo friend a pack of chips, Bentley walked over to a patrolling guard.

"Excuse me." Bentley tapped the guard's shoulder. Almost immediately the guard turned around and pointed his gun at Bentley's head.

"Who're you?" the hyena guard demanded. Flashing his flashlight at Bentley's face.

"It's okay! Don't shoot me!" Bentley quickly revealed his visitor pass.

The hyena examined the I.D. closely, squinting as if hoping to find an excuse to fire his weapon. "Okay, you check out." He said before quickly raising the gun in Murray's direction. "You a visitor too?"

But Murray didn't reply, instead he gave the guard a funny stare. "Have we met before?" the hippo asked.

"No, now show me your pass or I'll shoot!" he quickly answered.

Bentley was quick to answer for his friend. "Wait he's with me!"

The hyena grudgingly lowered the firearm. "Fine, the visiting booths are over at cellblock C." he then pointed to a jeep. "Take a ride on that jeep, you'll get there faster." Afterwards he turned away and continued his patrol.

As soon as he was sure the hyena guard was out of earshot, Murray whispered to Bentley. "Say Bentley, didn't that guard seem familiar to you? I think I've seen him before somewhere."

"Now that you mention it, yeah I think we have seen him before. We'll talk about this later Murray, Right now we have to get to the jeep."

(A bumpy ride later…)

"Ohhh…." Bentley groaned as he and Murray exited the vehicle.

Despite the ride Murray seemed to be in a good mood. "Wasn't that a fun ride Bentley?"

"'Fun' isn't the word I'd use Murray." Then he felt a sickening pang in his stomach. "Let's just give Sly our escape plan and get out of here."

Once inside Bentley and Murray noticed the prisoners were talking about them in a strange way.

"Hey guys, we got two saps comin' in for the visiting booths." A voice boomed from one of the many cells.

"Hehe, ten coins say they come out crying." Another prisoner replied.

"Oh yeah? I bet twenty coins they come out looking down at the floor!" Another prisoner laughed.

Oblivious to the meaning of the rants, Bentley and Murray quickened their pace to the visiting room.

Once inside, Bentley asked a nearby guard which booth Sly was in. The guard pointed to the only occupied booth in the room. Bentley slowly walked over to the booth and sat down on the nearest chair. He then turned to face his friend on the other side of the see-through plexiglass wall. "Hey Sly."

Sly looked at his friend with tired eyes. "Hey Bentley, glad you could come. Is Murray with you?"

Bentley didn't seem to hear him. "Look let's skip the small talk and get down to brass tacks. We gotta talk about your escape plan." Bentley said with a hush.

"I asked if Murray's with you Bentley. Answer!" Sly shouted.

Bentley seemed shocked. "Yes, Murray's here…"

"Good…because both of you have to hear what I'm going to say. Can you please bring him over here?" Sly asked.

Hesitantly, Bentley called out to Murray to come over to the booth. Murray was happy to oblige and immediately greeted Sly. "Hey Sly!"

"Hey Murray." Sly smiled. "Now I need you two to listen carefully. Alright?" Sly looked at his friends with a pained expression on his face. "Forget about me."

Now both Murray and Bentley looked shocked. "What do you mean 'Forget about you'?" they questioned in unison.

"It's like I said, forget about me. Erase me from your memories. Never speak my name again. That kind of stuff." Sly replied. Seeing the confused looks on his friends' faces he spoke again. "Start over, do something **meaningful **with your lives."

A long silence followed. Which was then broken by Murray. "Sly, what happened to you? It's only been 3 weeks since they sent you up the river."

"Yeah, and another 17 weeks and I'll be out of the joint. And do you really know what happened to me? Do you? I'll tell you. The truth happened to me. After all these years I finally see that all my ancestors were disillusioned kleptomaniacs! That goes double for me! So take my advice and scram, beat it. Now!" Sly ordered.

Bentley started to speak. "But Sly, what about the escape plan we ma-"

"Are you listening to me Bentley? It's over. There's no 'we' anymore. There's no 'us'. There's just me and my silly stick on the long road to perdition. So unless you want to end up in a prison cell, take my advice." Sly put his head in his hands and sobbed. "Forget about me."

In desperation Bentley tried to find even the slightest bit of the old Sly in this cynical raccoon. But alas, all he saw was a broken criminal, nothing more.

(Outside the cellblock.)

Bentley and Murray hung their heads in dismay. Both were trying to hold back tears. (But every story requires a chance meeting between both the antagonist and protagonist(s) before the storm. And I am not one to break tradition.) Just then a familiar figure walked to the scene and said to the distraught pair. "Ah, you must be Bentley and Murray." Bentley and Murray looked up to see the source of the voice; Sentrak Metzerstoff.

"How are you two this fine day, have you visited Sly?" the prison warden asked. Both thieves slowly nodded their heads. "Oh that's just grand. Would you both like a tour of the compound?" This time he didn't wait for a reply. Instead two guards came out of the cellblock and flanked both Murray and Bentley. "Is that a yes? Wonderful…let's start with the spotlights, shall we?"

To be continued…


End file.
